


Express Your Elf

by orphan_account



Series: 2018 holiday fics [3]
Category: Mean Girls - Richmond/Benjamin/Fey
Genre: F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-27 07:19:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17157686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Janis’s top lip curls up in disgust as she studies herself in the mirror. “Tell me why we’re doing this again?”“Because you need the money to pay your dad for smashing the coffee table last weekend and Damian would kill us if we didn’t,” Cady giggles. “Besides, think about the joy you’re going to be bringing to all of those kids.”Or: Cady, Janis and Damian get a job as elves at their mall’s Santa’s grotto.





	Express Your Elf

“I look ridiculous.”

“You look amazing,” Cady says, wrapping her arms around Janis’s middle, leaning her chin on Janis’s shoulder and staring at the pair in the mirror. “The cutest elf I’ve ever seen.”

Janis’s top lip curls up in disgust as she studies herself in the mirror. “Tell me why we’re doing this again?”

“Because you need the money to pay your dad for smashing the coffee table last weekend and Damian would kill us if we didn’t,” Cady giggles. “Besides, think about the joy you’re going to be bringing to all of those kids.”

“Okay first, the coffee table was an accident and secondly, aw shit I forgot about the children. Absolutely disgusting.”

“Janis!” A bony elbow digs into her ribs and she grimaces before turning away from the mirror. “C’mon it’ll be fun!”

And Janis can’t think of anything that sounds less fun than standing around at a cheap imitation of Santa’s grotto in the middle of their local mall, but Cady is so excited that she tries and somehow manages to muster a smile. She guesses it’s kind of worth it to see Cady dressed up—she looks absolutely  _ adorable _ —and maybe Janis will have to secretly thank Damian later.

They laze around in Cady’s living room until Damian’s car horn blares from outside, and Janis gathers up her things quickly, praying that no one sees them heading to the car.

Janis runs. Cady takes her time.

She realises on the way there that she’s going to see so many people that she knows and at that thought her cheeks glow red. She wants to point out to Cady that there really was no need for the girl to pack on the blush, but Cady’s too busy singing along to crappy Christmas music with Damian to notice Janis tapping her on the shoulder.

They reach the mall in under twenty minutes and make it their mission to get across the parking lot without being spotted by any children. Janis doesn’t understand why, but Cady tells her that it’ll ruin the magic if they’re seen arriving by car and not sleigh. Janis suggests that maybe they shouldn’t have gotten dressed before they came but Cady and Damian brush her off as they duck behind a car to avoid a wide eyed toddler.

“I’m being serious,” she grumbles. “We look like absolute idiots right now.”

It takes them a lot longer than necessary to reach the mall but once they’re in they make a beeline straight for the grotto. It’s better than Janis was expecting but she still feels like an idiot stood around waiting for them to open. Already there’s a line forming, and Cady waves at kids who point and gasp at them and the other elves. Janis just stands and smiles feeling extremely out of place, hiding slightly behind Cady and Damian who are evidently much better at this than she is. 

They open and kids start to trickle in. It’s their job to keep them entertained and in good spirits whilst they wait, and Janis sticks with Cady because holy fuck her girlfriend is good with kids.

They hand out candy canes and give a receive high fives and by the time it’s their lunch break Janis is already exhausted of the tiny humans. They’re not allowed to leave the grotto in case they’re caught, so they end up in a fake little log cabin hidden behind the actual grotto. There’s food provided that Janis scarfs down, along with the packed lunch that Cady brought with her.

“Last year I got bitten,” Damian says absentmindedly, chewing on a handful of crisps. “This year they’re relatively well behaved.”

“You got bitten?” Janis raises her eyebrows. She wouldn’t be surprised if that happens to her honestly. “You didn’t tell us that when we signed up.”

Damian waves a hand. “It wasn’t important.”

“But they’re all so cute,” Cady gushes. She turns to Janis. “Don’t you think about what our children will be like in the future?”

Janis almost chokes on her sandwich. “Cady! We’re sixteen!”

“I know! But sometimes when I can’t sleep at night I think about what—”

“I love you and all,” Janis interrupts, holding her hands up. “But I don’t think we should talk about children for at least ten years.”

Cady looks a little crestfallen but she doesn’t push. Janis shares and uneasy glance with Damian but he just shrugs and gets up quietly to toss their rubbish.

“If we do have kids were absolutely not naming one after Damian,” Janis says quietly, taking Cady’s hands in hers. “And they have limited contact time with him until they’re eighteen. I don’t think I have enough room in my life for more than one Damian.”

Cady laughs. “Me neither.”

* * *

Thankfully, no one gets bitten.

Janis is stationed away from Cady after their break and she’s terrified but she thinks that she makes it work. She receives grateful smiles from parents after answering difficult questions and even gets a couple of hugs in return for candy canes.

Kids are still gross to her, but maybe she has a higher opinion of them than she did this morning. And maybe she wouldn’t mind raising one or two as long as Cady was there to help.

The worst part of the day by far is when Ms. Norbury turns up. Janis spots her from afar, watches her greet Damian at the entrance and then Cady. Neither of them seem phased by their teacher’s presence but Janis’s cheeks are practically on fire when she reaches them.

“I have to say I wasn’t expecting to see you here.” Ms. Norbury whispers whilst her kids are distracted by the fake snow.

“Well you know what Cady and Damian are like,” she shrugs, digging into her pocket. “It’s kind of ruining my brand to be honest but I guess it isn’t the worst way to spend a Saturday. Candy cane?”

She hands one to her teacher and her kids and Ms. Norbury pats her on the back before she moves forward, promising not to tell anyone at school about this. Janis doesn’t think much of it at the time, but afterwards she’s a little bit concerned about who she would’ve told anyway. The other teachers? Maybe it’s for the best—Janis would rather die than have anyone else know about this. At least Ms. Norbury was somewhat cool, although that doesn’t mean that Janis is any less mortified. 

It’s dark and the majority of the shops are closed when they finish. They leave quickly, piling into Damian’s car, and Janis is mortified when the other two decide on going to a diner for dinner without stopping to get changed first.

Janis forced them into the farthest booth from the diner entrance, tucked away in a dark corner. She orders a burger and some fries and eats it as fast as she can, trying her hardest not to get any ketchup on her costume. Tomorrow was another long day but Janis reminds herself that that’s it. It’s done and she never has to do it again (unless Damian asks Cady again next year which Janis hopes to God he doesn’t).

They’ve paid their bill and Janis is standing up to leave when Cady places her hand on Janis’s arm.

“I’ve just remembered something,” she says. “We have to head back to the mall.”

“Everything will be closed,” Janis frowns. “Did you leave something at the grotto? You can just get it when we go back tomorrow.”

“It’s not that,” Cady says, shrugging on her jacket before standing up. Janis follows her out of the diner and back to Damian’s car. “We all forgot to do something. Something to remember this by.”

They end up crammed inside a crappy photo booth. Cady insists on it and Damian is more than happy to oblige. Janis doesn’t want to let either of them down so she ducks in and stands awkwardly hunched behind her girlfriend and best friend.

It turns out to be the best part of the day by far.

They spend more time in there than at the diner and spend so much money on prints. They distribute them when they’re back at Cady’s house, and Janis presses a kiss to her girlfriend’s lips after they finish putting one of them on the fridge.

“My parents will love it,” Cady grins once they pull away. “Almost as much as I love you.”

“My parents will love them too,” Janis smiles and she makes a mental note to choose which ones to put on her fridge whilst Damian’s driving her home. “But not nearly as much as I love you. That would be impossible.”

“You’re so cute,” Cady says with another kiss. “I hope that if we do have kids they’ll turn out like you.”

“Oh God,” Janis wrinkles her nose, letting out a quiet chuckle. “Be careful what you wish for, dear,” she pulls away when Damian calls her name from her hallway, quickly kissing her girlfriend’s forehead. “I’ll see you tomorrow for my elf makeover I guess.”

“I can’t wait babe,” Cady ushers her out into the hall after Damian calls her again, and they share another kiss on the front porch. “Remember to love your ‘elf!”

“Listen to your ‘elf, Cady! Your puns are terrible!” Damian yells before slamming the car door shut. He turns to Janis with the biggest smile she’s ever seen. “I thought that once was pretty good, don’t you?”

Janis runs her hands over her face. “You literally just made the same pun she did. I’m seriously debating my decision to be friends with you guys.”

“Suit your ‘elf.” Damian shrugs.

**Author's Note:**

> A very merry Christmas to those who celebrate! If not, I hope you’ve had a wonderful day! 💖


End file.
